Novel Barrier Enclosure for Both Aerosol and Droplet Protection Model.

Emergency physicians are on the front lines of treating patients with highly infectious respiratory diseases. Personal protective equipment is one defense against contamination from droplet and aerosol secretions. Intubation is a procedure that greatly can increase provider's risk of exposure. Utilization of an intubation box has been discussed and recommended on social media platforms. There has been scant literature demonstrating the effectiveness of such devices. This study aimed to determine degree of droplet contamination to the intubator utilizing a novel barrier enclosure with a fluorescent simulated respiratory contagion. This model confirmed both added protection to the providers preforming intubation, and reduction of spread of the droplets when such a device is applied to patient care.

Geospatial, Clinical, and Social Determinants of Hospital Readmissions.

Unnecessary hospital readmissions increase patient burden, decrease health care quality and efficiency, and raise overall costs. This retrospective cohort study sought to identify high-risk patients who may serve as targets for interventions aiming at reducing hospital readmissions. The authors compared geospatial, social demographic, and clinical characteristics of patients with or without a 90-day readmission. Electronic health records of 42 330 adult patients admitted to 2 Midwestern hospitals during 2013 to 2016 were used, and logistic regression was performed to determine risk factors for readmission. The 90-day readmission percentage was 14.9%. Two main groups of patients with significantly higher odds of a 90-day readmission included those with severe conditions, particularly those with a short length of stay at incident admission, and patients with Medicare but younger than age 65. These findings expand knowledge of potential risk factors related to readmissions. Future interventions to reduce hospital readmissions may focus on the aforementioned high-risk patient groups.